Jack Cassidy was just different. Most Columbo villains tried to play it cool, but Cassidy had this oily, high-society arrogance that felt dangerous. It’s why he’s one of the few actors who came back to play the killer three separate times. In the 1974 episode "Publish or Perish," he plays Riley Greenleaf, a cynical book publisher who decides that murdering his top-selling author is the only logical way to handle a contract dispute. It’s a wild premise. Honestly, it shouldn't work as well as it does, but the Columbo Publish or Perish cast is so stacked with character-actor royalty that you can't look away.
You’ve got a young Mickey Spillane playing a version of himself. You’ve got John Chandler being incredibly creepy. It’s a time capsule of 70s television where everyone is smoking, the lapels are massive, and the logic is delightfully twisted.
The Brilliant Arrogance of Jack Cassidy
If you're looking at the Columbo Publish or Perish cast, Cassidy is the sun everything else orbits. He plays Riley Greenleaf with this specific kind of theatrical disdain. Greenleaf isn't just a killer; he’s a guy who thinks he’s the smartest person in any room he enters. That was Cassidy’s bread and butter. He had this smile—teeth for days—that never quite reached his eyes.
In this specific plot, Greenleaf hires a hitman to kill his star writer, Allen Mallory, because Mallory wants to jump ship to another publisher. The twist? Greenleaf sets up this elaborate "drunken" alibi where he gets into a bar fight and a car accident at the exact time the murder happens. It’s a double-bluff. He wants the police to think he’s the obvious suspect but then realize he "couldn't" have done it. It’s the kind of ego-driven plan that Peter Falk’s Lieutenant Columbo loves to dismantle with a few "oh, just one more thing" moments.
Cassidy’s chemistry with Falk is legendary. While some villains got frustrated or scared, Cassidy’s characters always seemed slightly amused by the Lieutenant, right up until the handcuffs clicked. That dynamic is the heartbeat of the episode.
Mickey Spillane playing against type (Sorta)
One of the coolest things about the Columbo Publish or Perish cast is the inclusion of Mickey Spillane as the victim, Allen Mallory. If you aren't a crime fiction nerd, Spillane was the real-life creator of Mike Hammer. He was a massive deal in the hardboiled detective world. Seeing the guy who wrote some of the toughest noir novels of the century get taken out in a TV show is a meta-joke that 1974 audiences probably loved.
Spillane wasn't really a trained actor. You can tell. He’s a bit stiff, but it actually works for the character of a writer who is just done with the industry. He’s tired. He wants out. He’s grumpy. It’s basically Mickey Spillane playing Mickey Spillane if he were under a bad contract. His presence adds a layer of "street cred" to an episode about the publishing industry.
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The Creep Factor: John Chandler as Eddie Kane
You can't talk about the Columbo Publish or Perish cast without mentioning John Chandler. He plays Eddie Kane, the guy Greenleaf hires to pull the trigger. Chandler had a face made for playing "the weird guy" in 70s procedurals. He’s intense. He lives in a small apartment filled with explosives and diagrams.
The interaction between Cassidy and Chandler is gold. You have this refined, tuxedo-wearing publisher meeting a sweaty, paranoid hitman in a dark parking lot. It’s a study in contrasts. Greenleaf treats Kane like a disposable tool, which—spoiler alert—is exactly what he intends him to be. The way Chandler portrays Kane’s misplaced loyalty and eventual realization of betrayal is actually kind of sad, in a gritty sort of way.
Supporting Players Who Hold the Frame Together
The depth of the Columbo Publish or Perish cast goes beyond the top three names.
- Mariette Hartley: She plays Eileen McRae, Mallory’s agent. Hartley was everywhere in the 70s and 80s (and famously did those Polaroid commercials with James Garner). She brings a much-needed groundedness to the episode. She’s professional, sharp, and clearly doesn't trust Greenleaf as far as she can throw him.
- Jack Bender: He plays Wolpert. Bender eventually became a massive director (he directed a huge chunk of Lost), but here he’s just a young guy in the mix.
- Gregory Sierra: Playing Lou D'Alessandro. Sierra was a staple of Sanford and Son and Barney Miller. He gives the police work a sense of realism that balances out Columbo’s eccentricity.
Why the Casting Choices Mattered for the Mystery
In a "howcatchem" (the opposite of a whodunnit), the audience knows who did it from the start. The tension doesn't come from a reveal; it comes from the cat-and-mouse game. If the killer isn't a heavyweight actor, the episode falls flat.
Jack Cassidy was the heavyweight.
The way he dismisses Columbo’s questions about the "accidental" car crash or the timing of the gunshots is masterclass level. He uses his voice like a weapon. He patronizes Columbo. But the beauty of the Columbo Publish or Perish cast is that every person Columbo talks to provides a tiny thread for him to pull.
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When Columbo talks to Mariette Hartley’s character, he gets a sense of the business pressure. When he explores Eddie Kane’s world, he finds the physical evidence. The cast acts as a map of the crime.
The "One More Thing" About the Production
The episode was directed by Robert Butler. He was the guy who directed the original Star Trek pilot and the first episode of Hill Street Blues. You can feel that high-level direction in the way the cast is blocked. There’s a scene where Cassidy is in a phone booth—it’s framed so tightly it feels claustrophobic, highlighting his character's internal stress despite his cool exterior.
There’s also the matter of the "explosive" ending. Literally. Eddie Kane’s hobby was making bombs, and that plays a huge role in the final act. The cast had to sell the danger of a ticking clock while maintaining the slow, methodical pace that Columbo fans expect.
Realism in the Publishing World (The 70s Version)
While the episode is a drama, it touches on real anxieties of the 1970s publishing world. The idea of a "blockbuster" author being worth a murder wasn't entirely far-fetched in an era where paperbacks were selling in the millions. The Columbo Publish or Perish cast reflects the hierarchy of that world perfectly: the arrogant publisher at the top, the overworked agent in the middle, and the "disposable" writer and hired help at the bottom.
What to Look for During a Re-watch
If you're going back to watch this on Peacock or DVD, keep an eye on the background actors. The 70s atmosphere is thick. The "bar" where Greenleaf gets his alibi is a perfect example of the era's set design.
Pay attention to how Peter Falk interacts with Jack Cassidy compared to how he interacts with John Chandler. With Cassidy, Falk plays "the fool"—fumbling with his coat, looking for a pencil. With Chandler’s character’s history, he’s more somber. It’s a subtle shift in performance that shows why Falk was a genius. He tailored his "Columbo" persona to whoever was standing across from him.
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Deep Dive into the Clues
The mystery hinges on a key bit of evidence involving a light bulb and a camera. It’s technical. It’s specific. It’s the kind of thing only a guy like Columbo would notice. But the actors have to sell it. When Cassidy’s character realizes he’s been caught because of a "misfire," the look on his face is worth the price of admission.
He doesn't explode in anger. He just sort of... wilts. It’s the death of an ego.
The Legacy of the Episode
"Publish or Perish" remains a top-tier entry because it doesn't overcomplicate things. It relies on the strength of its performers. It’s often ranked in the top 10 of the series by fans, largely because of Cassidy. He was the perfect foil. He was everything Columbo wasn't: rich, polished, and arrogant.
Watching the Columbo Publish or Perish cast is like watching a perfectly tuned orchestra. Everyone knows their part. No one overacts (except when it’s character-appropriate for Greenleaf to be dramatic).
Actionable Steps for Columbo Fans
If you want to dive deeper into this specific era of television or this episode, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch "Murder by the Book" next: This was the first Columbo episode (directed by Steven Spielberg!) and also stars Jack Cassidy. Comparing his performance there to "Publish or Perish" shows how he evolved the "Cassidy Villain" archetype.
- Read Mickey Spillane’s "I, the Jury": To appreciate the meta-casting of Allen Mallory, you have to understand the hardboiled style Spillane actually wrote. It makes his "victim" role much funnier.
- Check the "Columbo Phile" podcast: There are several fan-run deep dives that break down the filming locations for this episode in Los Angeles, many of which still look the same today.
- Analyze the "double-alibi" trope: Use this episode as a case study for mystery writing. The idea of a killer making themselves look guilty to prove they are innocent is a classic "inverted detective" trope that "Publish or Perish" executes perfectly.